Sidney Rittenberg, ‘The Man Who Stayed Behind’

This one sounds like a movie plot, but it’s a true story, one that you
perhaps have not heard:

Sidney Rittenberg, previously a student activist and labor organizer, became
U.S. Army interpreter in China during World War II and ended
up staying behind after the troops pulled out, joining the
UN Relief Program and becoming friends with Zhou Enlai, who
introduced him to Mao Zedong. Soon after, he found himself
living among Mao’s revolutionaries in the mountains
of Yenan following “The Long March,” and later
becomes the only American to join the Chinese Communist Party,
sometimes even serving Mao in an advisory role. Despite going
out of his way to prove his commitment to the Party’s
cause, he ended up spending 16 of his 35 years in China in
prison, falsely accused of spying, finally returning to the
U.S. decades after his odyssey began with a changed view of
the world.

But the story doesn’t end there.

Rather than fading away after what could easily have been a wholly disenchanting,
life-shattering experience, Rittenberg is now a professor
at Pacific Lutheran University near Tacoma, Washington, USA,
committed to improving relations between the United States
and China. In addition to his teaching, lectures, and frequent
trips back to China, he and his wife Yulin now operate Rittenberg
& Associates, providing consultation services to individuals,
agencies, and businesses who work with China.

For more details of Rittenberg’s fascinating biography online, check
these sites: